


Thanksgiving with the Family

by AgentSprings



Category: Class of 198x (Web Series), The Creatures | Cow Chop RPF
Genre: Child Neglect, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I gave them siblings, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Thanksgiving, and they love each other, canon is dead and i killed it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 05:02:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16695922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentSprings/pseuds/AgentSprings
Summary: Three weeks after their surprise journey into space, the 198x crew faces the holidays with people they love and people they really don’t.





	Thanksgiving with the Family

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to We-Killed-Parker and Almadsy for reading and editing this for me! And thanks to We-Killed-Parker for helping me develop the siblings! <3 you

“Fucking Thanksgiving,” Sam muttered under his breath, as he pulled bags out of the back of his dad’s car. “Every god damn year.”

“Oh, you’re back. About time. Your sister needs this in the kitchen.” His dad stepped out into the garage and held out his hand for the keys, not bothering to look at Sam directly.

“Where’s mom?” Sam shuffled all the bags into one hand and handed him the keys with the other.

“Out. I’ll be back later.” His dad pushed past him and climbed into the car. Sam barely managed to get out of the way before his dad was pulling out.

“Happy Thanksgiving to you too.” He glared at the ground where the car had sat before turning and walking into the house. “Cassie! I’m back!”

“Sam? I need he-“ his 12-year-old sister’s voice was cut off by a loud crash and her scream. Sam ran into the kitchen, already worrying about trips to the hospital. The sight that greeted him in the kitchen was bad- but not hospital trip bad.

“Holy shit Cassie, are you ok?” Sam carefully put the bags on one of the counters and surveyed the kitchen. Cassie was sitting in the middle of the floor, a huge pot of mashed potatoes scattered around her. The turkey was sitting on the floor in front of her and she looked at him in tears.

“Sam,” she glanced around, panic in her voice. “What the fuck are we going to do?”

“Language.” he stared at the mess and then the clock. It was 9 am on Thanksgiving Day and their dad would expect dinner around two. Nowhere in town would have a turkey at this point, and cooking everything would be a nightmare.

“Shut up.”

“Cassie, why didn’t you wait for me?”

“Dad wanted it cooked. He was, pretty insistent.” Cassie rubbed at one of her arms and Sam could see the edges of a fresh bruise along the edge of her tee-shirt sleeve. He shoved the anger at his father deep down, to ignore until later, and helped his sister to her feet. 

“Go clean up and put on something fun, I have an idea.” He helped her step over the mess and into the hallway.

“Alright, what kind of fun?”

“Jeans and a sweater you like. Anything you feel comfortable in.” Sam shooed her away, and she went laughing. As soon as she got out of his view his shoulder slumped.

“Alright Beans, you can do it.” Sam rubbed at his arm, tracing the scar he had gotten in space not even four weeks ago. “Normal life, real shit.”

Sam picked up the now cooled pot from the floor and started scrubbing the kitchen while trying to come up with a plan for what to do with himself and his sister for the day. They needed to get away from the house long enough for their dad to cool off- but not somewhere he would check for them. Sam spent an hour cleaning the potatoes off the floor and cabinets before he had an idea.

“Hey, Cassie!”

“What?”

“You almost ready?”

“Yeah, are you?”

Sam glanced around the half-cleaned kitchen and touched the scar once more.

“Yeah, c’mon, we’re going to have to walk.”

“Aww shit!”

“Language!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mikey?” The door to Mike’s room cracked open and his sister Lucy poked her head in.

“Yeah Luce?” Mike dropped the electric gun he was holding, and covered it with a pillow.

“Matty wants to take a nap and Baby is crying again.” She stepped into the room and looked over her shoulder, lowering her voice. “And mom just got back and she brought someone with her.”

“Alright, Luce.” Mike sighed and rubbed his neck.

“Mikey?”

“Mhm?”

“Why don’t we get to have Thanksgiving?”

Mike took a deep breath before looking back at her. She was standing against the wall, arms crossed in front of her, holding far too much tension for a nine-year-old.

“Come on Lucy, let’s go help Sophie and then we can figure out Thanksgiving.” Mike stood up and walked over to her, kneeling in front of her.

“Promise?”

“Yeah Luce, we’re gonna have a great Thanksgiving! Just the four of us! We’re gonna go out somewhere!” Mike smiled at her, pushing away the panic about what they were going to do.

“Really? I’m gonna go tell Matt! Can we leave now?” Lucy was bouncing with excitement. Mike felt a pang of guilt. Ever since returning from his impromptu adventure, he had grown more distant from his siblings.

“We’ll leave as soon as I get Sophie ready. Coats and boots, ok?”

“Ok!” Lucy grabbed his hand and started pulling him out of the room. He smiled at her and went along with it, suppressing a flinch when he heard his mom and an unknown other voice in the dining room. He pressed a finger to his lips and he and Lucy crept through the house to Lucy and Sophie’s bedroom.

“Hey Sophie baby,” Mike cooed at the wailing baby, picking her up and cuddling her close. “You two go get ready, we’ll leave in just a minute. Come straight back here, we’ll go out the window.”

“Ok, Mike.” His brother Matt seemed confused but Lucy pulled him along while quietly whispering the plan. He watched the two of them slip back out into the main house before returning his focus to Sophie. 

“Alright baby, what seems to be the problem today?” She had quieted down as soon as he snuggled her, which made it easier for him to check her diaper. “All dry baby! Do you need food? Let’s check the magic bag!” 

He knelt down and dug around in her diaper bag, looking for a single jar of baby food. All of her formula and bottles were in the kitchen and he couldn’t get to it until his mom moved rooms.

Matt and Lucy slipped back into the room, bundled up for a walk and looking at him in excitement. He smiled at them and gestured for Lucy to come closer.

“Luce, can you sit down and hold Sophie? And is mom still in the kitchen?”

“Sure,” Lucy grinned and sat down, holding her arms out for her little sister. “And nope, she moved into her room.”

“Alright, Matt can you pack up Sophie’s bag? I’ll be right back.” Mike gently placed Sophie in Lucy’s arms before slipping back out of the room. He ignored the sounds of his mom and hurried into the kitchen, grabbing one of the bottles of formula from the fridge, hesitating for a moment before grabbing two more. He hurried back to the girls' room before he could doubt his decision and slipped back in.

“All right, ready?” He asked, looking at his siblings. 

“Ready!” Lucy and Matt cheered quietly. Mike grinned and walked over to take Sophie again.

“Alright,” he took her over to the bed and started bundling her up in the few blankets they had. “We’re gonna go out the window, are you ready?”

“Yeah!” Matt scrambled up onto Lucy’s bed and pulled open the window, which sat only a few feet above the ground. He jumped out still clutching Sophie’s bag and Lucy quickly followed. Mike carefully balanced Sophie in his arms and climbed out after them before sliding the window shut.

“Alright, this way to Thanksgiving!” Mike said, pointing dramatically and hoping his idea would work the way he wanted it to.

~~~~~~~~~~

“So do you have a boyfriend yet?” Hannah bit back a groan as yet another aunt approached her to ask about her love life. She forced a smile and turned to look at her aunt.

“No Auntie B, I don’t have a boyfriend yet.”

“Well, why not!” Her son was poking her in the side trying to get her attention but she ignored it. “You’re a bright young woman. Could be prettier though, why don’t you try wearing some makeup?”

“Oh, I uh-“

“Mommy!” Her cousin suddenly screamed, jumping up and grabbing her aunts arm. “I’m bored!”

“Go play with your cousins! Don’t interrupt mommy!” While her aunt was distracted, Hannah made a quick escape, slipping off to a quiet area of the room. She glanced around her house, filled with aunts, uncles, and cousins. Her hand drifted to her side, finding one of her new scars from the alien fucks who took her and her classmates.

She had been gone for three days and her parents hadn’t even noticed, and none of her relatives had talked to her about anything but her lack of a boyfriend.

Another one of her younger cousins started screaming, setting off all of the babies in the room. Hannah flinched at the piercing noise before making a split second decision. She glanced around to make sure everyone was distracted before slipping along the side of the room and up the stairs into the hall to her bedroom. Her room was fortunately empty still but she knew it wouldn’t last for long. 

“Coat, wallet, uhhh hat,” Hannah muttered to herself as she darted around her room. She glanced at her door for a second before looking out her window. She had a large oak tree outside her window, but it would be a jump to make it into the tree. 

“Thank fuck my room is on the side of the house,” she muttered, opening the window and bracing herself on the windowsill. “You can do it, Lee, don’t be a pussy.”

She jumped towards the tree and latched onto the closest branch, using her momentum to swing towards the trunk. She held herself there for a moment breathing before climbing down the tree and listening carefully. She could hear her dad, uncles, and older cousins in the backyard playing football, leaving her a clear shot to the front yard.

She moved quietly towards the fence and climbed it, glancing around the front yard to make sure no one was there before flipping over it. She moved along her neighbor's fence for a bit until she was out of the view of the front windows and then she moved down to the sidewalk and started walking.

“Fuck, stupid fucking holiday. Stupid fucking family.” She kicked a rock hard and glared at the sidewalk. She walked for a few minutes before she realized it was getting colder faster and snow had started to fall.

“Oh, Fucking Hell!” She looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. She glanced around and made a game plan.

~~~~~~~~~

Amanda pulled the turkey out of the oven, coughing as smoke poured out with it.

“Damn it! Damn it!” She dropped the smoking turkey on the stove top and stared at it before taking a deep breath. The kitchen was a mess and so was she, covered in bits and pieces of most of what was supposed to be her meal. 

It was Amanda’s first Thanksgiving since her parents had died and she was alone. She stood at the stove for a second before letting out an angry yell and shoving everything on the counter to the floor. Nothing she had cooked all day had turned out right and none of it was edible. 

She slowly sank down to the ground and fought back a sob. She buried her face in her hands and took a deep breath before dissolving into sobs. After a few minutes of crying, she sat up and rubbed at her face. 

“Ok. Ok, Amanda, pull on your big girl pants. Time to get out of the house.” She pulled herself up and turned to the fridge, pausing at the picture of herself and her parents from the previous Christmas.

“I’m gonna make you proud. I promise.” She touched the picture before looking back at the kitchen. It was a mess but she didn’t have the energy to start doing damage control, so she walked out of the kitchen and up to her room to clean herself up.

She changed her clothes and took a quick shower before pulling her hair up into a ponytail. She gave herself a once-over and decided she was at least acceptable for public. She grabbed her purse and walked out the door, remembering the 24-hour diner that was open all day Thanksgiving. The only place in town that would be open and serving food.

Amanda climbed into her car, a station wagon her parents had promised her for her 16th birthday as a starter car. She drove halfway to the diner before she saw Mike on the side of the road, with three kids. She pulled up next to them and turned on her hazard lights before climbing out of the car.

“Mike?”

“Amanda? What are you doing here?” Mike turned towards her, and the two young kids that had been walking next to him crowded behind him and peered at her with caution.

“Driving, what are you doing?” Amanda closed the door and walked over to him. “And who are these little ones?”

“We’re heading to the diner for Thanksgiving, and these are my siblings. This is Lucy, Matt, and Sophie.” Mike studied her closely before looking at the sky and closing his eyes.

“I was planning on going there too, would you like a ride? I have plenty of room!” Amanda gestured towards her car and smiled at them.

“Are you sure?” Mike asked, but Lucy and Matt were already jumping up and down and pulling at Mike’s leg.

“Yeah! It’ll be fun! C’mon hop in!” Amanda turned back towards her car and climbed in, Mike following her lead and climbing into the passenger seat while Lucy and Matt climbed into the back.

“Thank you, Amanda, but why aren’t you with your family?”

“I know Sam told you all I was lying, but my parents really did die,” Amanda tightened her hands on the steering wheel.

“Then who did we meet?” Mike asked, bouncing Sophie gently.

“A foster dad, they wanted me to have one until I turned 18 but they caught him stealing shit from the house. So the cops arrested him and my social worker decided I should just file for emancipation.” Amanda forced a smile at Mike and released the tension she was holding in her shoulders.

“I’m sorry Amanda, how long ago?”

“9 months. It’s been 9 months. But it’s fine!”

“Why did Sam lie?”

“Eh, he may have thought my foster dad was my dad or maybe he was trying to pull attention away from his own shitty life. It doesn’t really matter, what he said didn’t change anything and it was in the middle of all that craziness.” Amanda glanced in the rearview mirror at Lucy and Matt who were staring at her.

“Maybe, you give him a lot of credit. You two didn’t get along very well before?” Mike pointed out, giving her a curious look.

“Yeah, I just know he’s kind of a shit head but he came through a lot up there.” Amanda pulled into the parking lot of the diner.

“Ms. Amanda?” Lucy suddenly asked from the back seat. “Do you want to join us for Thanksgiving dinner?”

“If it’s ok with your big brother, I would be delighted to.” Amanda turned towards Mike and raised her eyebrows.

“He likes you!” Matt said suddenly. “He doesn’t talk like this for anyone but us so you must be special.”

“Matt!” A small blush was sneaking up Mike’s cheeks and he climbed out of the car. 

“Oh, I like you two.” Amanda grinned at them before climbing out of the car. Lucy and Matt scrambled after her and ran over to Mike.

“Please please please! Can she eat with us?”

Mike looked at Amanda helplessly before letting out a dramatic groan.

“Well, I guess if she has to.” He shifted Sophie in his arms and gestured for Amanda to lead them into the restaurant. Amanda grinned and walked into the restaurant, leading the group.

“I’m glad you said she could eat with us,” Lucy said to Mike, behind her. “She’s like us! But she doesn’t have any siblings,”

“What do you mean?”

“She doesn’t have parents, like we don’t!”

“It’s not quite the same, Luce,” Mike tried to explain but couldn’t find the words. Amanda smiled at the tired-looking waitress and asked for the biggest booth.

“Alright, Miss. Right this way.” She led them to the back of the room, to a booth set up for a huge group.

“Amanda, we don’t need this big table,” Mike tried to protest, but he was cut off by someone calling his name.

“Mike? Hey Mikey!” They all turned to the source of the voice, and saw Sam standing at the hostess table waving.

“Hey, Sam!” Mike waved back before hesitating for a second. “Do you want to join us?”

“I don’t know,” Sam seemed hesitant for a second and then Mike noticed the smaller girl poking her head around his arm.

“We have plenty of room!” Amanda called from a little further ahead. Sam hesitated for a second more before the girl started pushing him forward.

“I guess we’ll join you.” He rolled his eyes before moving forward willingly, pulling his sister to his side.

“I’ll get two more menus.” The waitress left them at their table.

“This is my sister Cassie, Cassie this is Mike, Amanda, and three kids I don’t know.”

“Hello,” Cassie gave a small smile to them and then leaned in closer to Sam.

“C’mon let’s sit.” Amanda climbed into the booth and gestured for the others to follow her. Sam climbed in next to her, letting Cassie take the seat next to him. Lucy climbed in next to Cassie and grinned at her, while Mike and Matt sat on the other side of Amanda.

“Oh my god, really?” Everyone turned once again as they heard Hannah’s voice from the front of the restaurant. 

“Hey Hannah, wanna join us?” Amanda called, waving at her. A small smile appeared on her lips and she walked over to join them.

“Sure, why not.”

“Wonderful, time for introductions again!” Amanda clapped and started pointing around the table, introducing all the kids to Hannah. She was brighter and happier than normal, excited to not be alone and spending the holiday with people she at least liked.

“Alright, what are we ordering?” Hannah reached over and snatched the menu out of Sam’s hand. He stuck out his tongue and her and turned to share with his sister.

“Matt, do you and Lucy wanna share?” Mike asked, glancing at the prices on the menu.

“Do we have to?” Matt started pouting, glaring at the menu. 

“Nope,” Amanda suddenly spoke up. “This meal is my treat to all of you.”

“Amanda!” Sam and Mike both protested, glaring at her.

“Nope, no arguing. I want to treat you all to Thanksgiving dinner! Whatever you want, even dessert.”

“Really?” Cassie, Lucy, and Matt all perked up at that, then turned to look at Sam and Mike for confirmation.

“Yeah, alright.” Mike caved first, unable to withstand the puppy eyes of all his siblings. “But tell Amanda thank you alright?”

“Thank you, Amanda!” They both chorused before burying themselves in their menus. 

“You too Cassie, I ain’t saying no to a free meal.” Sam smiled at Cassie before giving Amanda a considering look.

“Thank you, Miss Amanda.” Cassie gave Amanda a shy smile before Lucy started chattering with her about the menu.

“Alright, why are you guys here?” Hannah finally addressed the elephant in the room, setting down her menu.

“Shitty parents,” Mike and Sam said at the same time.

“Dead parents.”

“Well fuck.” Hannah glanced at them all before shrugging. “I’m glad we all had the same idea then.”

“How are you guys doing?” Sam suddenly asked, still staring at his menu. “You know, since our little adventure?”

“Is this the adventure where Mike disappeared for two days?” Matt piped up, staring at Sam from across the table.

“Yeah Matty, but I’m back now.” Mike shifted Sophie into his other arm and pulled Matt closer. The waitress chose that moment to approach the table. Everyone scrambled for their menus, ordering the first thing they saw that looked appetizing. 

Just before the waitress walked away, Mike caught her attention and pulled out the bottle of formula. 

“Ma’am, is there any way you can warm this up for me?” He was intently studying the wall over her shoulder but he managed to hold out the bottle for her. She gave him a small smile and took the bottle.

“Of course, I’ll bring this right back.” She took the bottle and disappeared into the kitchen.

“How old is she?” Sam asked, making faces at the giggling Sophie.

“Six months, it’s her first holidays.” Mike shifted her so she was sitting up and leaning against him. She clapped and reached towards the table, wanting to explore. Sam kept making faces, making her laugh and clap. After a few minutes of idle chatter going over his head, Mike caught his attention.

“Hey, Sammy.”

“Mm?”

“Do you want to hold her? While we wait for the food and her bottle?”

“He-ck yeah dude!” Sam stumbled slightly as he held back the curse. Mike grinned at him and stood up, handing Sophie across the table. Sam pulled her in close and started talking quietly to her. 

“She’s adorable,” Amanda said, leaning over and touching her cheek. Hannah had joined Cassie and Lucy in playing a game on one of the kid's menus. Matt pulled a book out of Sophie’s baby bag and started reading, ignoring the older people around him.

“She is.” Mike smiled at Sophie before turning his attention to Lucy and then Matt. The tension bled out of his shoulders as he watched them smile and lose themselves in what they were doing. 

“I’m glad we ran into you all,” Sam said, letting Sophie clutch at his finger.

“Yeah,” Cassie said quietly, glancing up at them all before ducking back to her game.

“Me too,” Mike rested his hand on Matt’s head and ruffled his hair. Matt batted his hand away and kept reading, resting his head against Mike’s side.

“Alrighty kiddos,” The waitress walked up holding a huge tray of food. “Here we go, who ordered the chicken tenders with Mac and cheese?” 

The waitress handed out all of their food, ending with handing the bottle to Sam who was still holding Sophie.

“Alright, enjoy! Just call if you need anything.” She walked away and the kids immediately started eating. Mike reached out for Sophie but Sam pouted.

“Do you want to feed her? Do you know how to feed a baby?”

“Yeah, of course I do. Who do you think took care of Cassie?”

“Alright, but don’t mess up.” Mike watched them for a second, but as soon as Sam started feeding her, he relaxed and turned to his own meal.

“Alright, I want everyone to say something they’re thankful for.” Lucy said between bites of her burger. “My teacher said that’s what we’re supposed to do for Thanksgiving.” 

“Uh, who do you want to start Luce?” Mike asked, looking mildly panicked.

“You, of course.” 

“Oh, uh, well I’m thankful for Sophie, you, and Matty. You make my life so much brighter.” 

“My turn!” Matt looked around and then flushed and studied the table. “I- uh- I’m thankful for Mike. Cause he got me a new book, and he takes me to school, and he makes sure I have lunch, and he’s the best.”

“Thanks, Matty.” Mike pressed a kiss to the top of his head before ruffling his hair again.

“My turn, I guess,” Amanda studied the table for a second. “I’m glad I met you all, no matter how unfortunate our meeting was.”

“Really?” Hannah asked, remembering how much they all had fought when they first met.

“Yeah, you all were the first people in nine months to not treat me like I was fragile or like I was an object. Well mostly.” She gave Sam a look but ended with a smile.

“You’re hot, but I shouldn’t have been quite so creepy. Sorry about that.” Sam gave her a sheepish look before turning his attention back to Sophie.

“Eh, it’s fine. You’re still less creepy than pretty much everyone else at our school.”

“That’s good to know, and it’s my turn isn’t it?” Sam smiled at her before looking back at the group. “I think I’m thankful this year for weed.”

Cassie rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the side, glaring at him until he slumped in surrender.

“Alright alright geez, uhm I’m thankful for this little firecracker who keeps me honest and gives me a reason to get up in the morning.” 

“Thank you,” Cassie stuck her tongue out at him before resting her head on his arm. “Uhm, I’m thankful for you all for bringing my brother back safe from your ‘adventure’.”

“I’m thankful for Mike! For everything Matt already said, and because he brought us here!” Lucy said, smiling over at her brother.

“I think this year I’m thankful for getting to spend Thanksgiving away from the family who didn’t notice I disappeared for 3 days and came back with a ton of new scars.” Hannah lifted her glass in a fake toast and rolled her eyes.

“A toast! To terrible parents or parent figures!” Sam raised his glass as well and everyone followed his lead. The rest of the meal was spent talking to the kids, learning about their interests, grades, and just listening to them talk. Eventually, the waitress brought their check, which Amanda paid without even blinking, including a large tip for the waitress.

“Well, I guess this is where we part. It was nice to see you guys outside of school or life and death situations,” Sam said as they climbed out of the booth.

“Or! You could all come to my house?” Amanda offered, already dreading going back to the big empty house.

“Really? Please, Mikey! Please please please!” Lucy and Matt jumped up and down in excitement.

“I think I’d like that, Sammy,” Cas whispered to her brother.

“Well, if you’re willing to put up with us more,” Sam released the tension in his shoulders, happy to put a few more hours between himself and his dad’s rage.

“Great! If we squish, we can all fit in my car.” Amanda started herding everyone towards the parking lot, excited to not have to go back to an empty house.

“You sure?” Mike asked, taking Sophie back from Sam. She was sound asleep and made an unhappy noise at losing her bed. He shushed her gently and bounced her until she settled.

“I’m sure, big house with no one in it? Perfect for Thanksgiving activities!” Amanda unlocked the car and climbed into the driver’s seat. Everyone else scrambled for seats, Hannah and Cassie climbing into the far back, letting Matt, Sam, and Lucy take the middle. 

“What kind of Thanksgiving activities?” Lucy scooted forward and leaned on the back of Amanda’s seat. 

“Well, we can make crafts, watch Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, play board games, nap, whatever you all want to do.” 

“Sounds like fun!” Matt bounced up and down for a moment before settling down next to Sam.

“Yeah,” Amanda glanced at them in the rearview mirror. “We’ll have lots of fun!”

“Thank you for this Amanda,” Mike said quietly as Lucy and Matt started chattering excitedly in the back seat. “My mom brought someone home, I don’t want them in that house while that’s going on.”

“I understand, I didn’t want anyone spending the day alone. Especially when we could just spend it together.”

“Yeah, I agree.” Mike lifted Sophie a little and started rubbing her back.

“Alright!” Amanda announced once she pulled into her driveway and turned off the car. “We’re here. Go on in and make yourselves at home!”

Matt and Lucy flew out of the car, running up to the front door and into the house. Matt hurried after them, while Sam, Cassie, and Hannah waited for Amanda.

“Wow!! This place is huge!” Amanda heard Matt yell from upstairs. Sam, Matt, and Hannah were all frozen in the front room, taking everything in.

“Amanda, someone broke in and destroyed your kitchen!” Lucy’s voice came from further inside.

“Oh no, the kitchen!” Amanda ran to the kitchen and groaned when she saw the mess.

“What did you do, ‘Manda?” Sam’s voice came from behind her.

“I tried to make dinner, I uh, I can’t cook.”

“So it exploded?”

“I think I exploded.”

Amanda knelt down and started picking up pots and pans from the ground. After a beat, Sam was next to her, and Cassie was leading Lucy out while talking about finding some board games.

“So? You exploded?” Sam stood up, taking the pile of pots and pans with him.

“Yeah, it’s my first holiday by myself and everything went wrong and, well you see.” Amanda gave him a quick look before walking over to the door to the garage to get the mop. “Why are you being so nice? You were an asshole three weeks ago.”

“And you were a raging bitch.” Sam turned on the tap before turning back to her. “I am sorry about before, but let’s be honest; that situation isn’t going to bring out the best in anyone.”

“That’s fair, but why the sudden change?”

“My dad was going to send Cassie away. As a ‘punishment’ for us both, I guess to teach us not to be dependent on anyone else.”

“So, you were angry?”

“I was pissed. And school is shit, I’m a drug addict who sells so I can buy my sister clothes, and my dad likes to speak his frustrations very physically.” Sam was getting agitated and Amanda wanted to calm him down.

“What changed his mind? About Cassie?”

“I vanished and she threatened to run. He and mom fight so much that she didn’t care much, but my dad really wants people to think we’re ‘the perfect family’. He realized having two kids who ran, one of whom is on the honor roll, by the way, wouldn’t look good.” Sam deflated a little and turned back to the dishes, taking out his frustrations on the mess.

“I’m sorry Sam, that sucks.” Amanda leaned against the wall and studied him. “Your sister is pretty damn lucky though, to have a brother like you.”

Sam scoffed but didn’t have a chance to reply as Hannah and Mike walked into the room.

“The kids told us there was a mess, and holy shit they weren’t kidding.” Hannah stared around the room before turning back to Amanda. “I’ll need rags, and any cleaning solution you have.”

“Under the sink, what-“

“We’re gonna help you. The kids said they were working on a surprise for us and needed us out of the way.” Mike picked up the mop and bucket and walked over to the sink to fill it up.

“We figured we would be able to hear any trouble they got up to, and that with the four of us this would get clean a whole lot faster.” Hannah waited for Sam to move for Mike and cut between them to get under the sink.

“Alright, but we’re not cleaning in silence. Amanda, do you have a radio or boombox in the house?” Sam asked.

“Uh, my dad’s office had a small portable radio, I think. I’ll go grab it.” Amanda left to go track down the radio. She made it to the dining room before had to pause, overwhelmed with emotion. She could hear the three kids laughing in the back living room, Sam, Mike, and Hannah chattering in the kitchen, and the house felt like a home once again. Full of people and warmth.

“Not such a bad day,” She whispered before continuing to her dad’s office. She found his old portable radio and brought it back to the kitchen. Sam and Mike were having a soap fight while Hannah egged them on and laughed.

“Damn, I leave for two minutes and you all fall apart!” Amanda laughed, plugging the radio in on the only clean counter.

“He flicked soap at me!” Mike and Sam yelled at the same time before dissolving into laughter.

“You guys are worse than the actual children. Sam dry off your hands and figure out the radio, I have no idea what you want to listen to.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Sam gave her a sarcastic salute and a wink, drying his hands and walking over to the radio. Within a minute he had the radio on and playing ABBA, leading to a ridiculous hour of cleaning and dancing. 

By the end, the kitchen was sparkling and they all were laughing so hard they were on the floor.

“Is it nap time?” Standing in the door were their siblings, looking happy and relaxed. 

“Nah, just resting. What do you need, munchkins?” Sam said, pushing himself more upright.

“We finished our surprise! And Mikey it’s the best surprise!” Lucy walked in and grabbed Mike’s arm, pulling him out of the room.

“Yeah, well let’s go see it!” Mike helped Hannah stand up and then pulled her along after Lucy. Sam and Amanda were grabbed by the other two and they followed after.

“What kind of-“ Mike’s voice cut out as he crossed the line of the living room. Amanda and Sam crowded in behind him, trying to see over his shoulders.

The kids had found every blanket and pillow in the house and turned the family room into a giant fort, with rooms, walls, and a roof. Cassie looked extremely proud and Lucy and Matt were talking a mile a minute about the fort.

“See, Mike!! Cas helped us make a pillow fort! There’s a room where we can watch a movie, a room for crafts, a game room! Isn’t it the best?”

“It is!” Mike agreed. “Cas, where did you learn how to do this?”

“Sam and I used to make them in his room. This is the biggest one I’ve ever done and I think it turned out well.” Cas disappeared into the fort with a grin, the other two kids quickly following after her. 

“Watch out I’m coming in!” Mike dove in after them, followed by a laughing Hannah.

“I could get used to this,” Amanda said, taking in the chaos and laughter filling the room.

“Me too, I like seeing her happy,” Sam was smiling at the fort, a small twist of sorrow in his expression. “She and I haven’t made a fort in years, I know she missed it but. Y’know, life.”

“Then get in there, don’t just watch from out here!” Amanda gave him a small nudge towards them.

“Alright, I’m going princess! You shouldn’t just watch either y’know.” Sam grinned at her and held open the fort door in invitation. She returned the grin and followed after him, running towards the warmth and love that filled the fort.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](https://ryanthemadbitch.tumblr.com/)


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